Distributor clutch for typographical composing machine



Filed July 29, 1958 P. HILPMAN ETAL DISTRIBUTOR CLUTCH FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l N VE N TOPS PAUL H/LPMAN LEROY FRED ALBERT BY HAROLD SCHAD ATTORNEY Feb. 21, 1961 P. HILPMAN ETAL 2,972,399

DISTRIBUTOR CLUTCH FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Filed July 29, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 45 IN VENTORS PAUL HILPMAN LEROY FRED ALBERT.

BY HAROLD Sc/M0 Qua 462% ATTORNEY by automatic tape control units.

United States Patent C DISTRIBUTOR CLUTCH FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Paul Hilpman,'Garden City, Leroy F. Albert, Brooklyn,

and Harold Schad, Wantagh, N.Y., assignors to Mergfntllgaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New Filed July 29, 1958, Ser. No; 751,805 2 Claims. (Cl. 192-150) This invention relates to typographical composing machines, such as Linotype machines of the general organization represented in US. Letters Patent O. Mergen- ,thaler, No. 436,532, wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine in the order in which they are to appear in print and then assembled in line, the composed line transferred to the face of a mold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a type bar or slug, and the matrices thereafter returned through a distributing mechanism to the magazine from which they started.

In being distributed, the matrices are individually fed to a horizontal distributor bar, conveyed therealong by a set of rotating screws driven through a clutch arrangement from the intermediate drive shaft of the machine and, finally, released at different points along the bar for return to appropriate channels in the magazine. During the operation of the distributing mechanism, it sometimes happens that the rotation of the screws is abnormally resisted because of faulty distribution caused, for example, by a jammed matrix. In such cases, it is the function of the distributor clutch to break the driving con- I nection between the intermediate shaft and the distributor screws in order to prevent damage to the parts.

While the distributor clutch arrangement employed in the past has proven satisfactory for many years, it has failed to meet the high standards of sensitivity required for modern high speed machines, such as those operated Recent improvements in distributor clutches have therefore been directed toward increasing sensitivity in detection of abnormal resistance to screw rotation, and in reducing reaction time for stopping screw rotation once such resistance has been sensed.

The present invention provides an improved clutch device of greatlyincreased sensitivity and greatly reduced reaction time wherein positive locking of the driven clutch member against rotation is the primary reaction to screw rotation resistance, and disengagement of the clutch members is the subsequent reaction.

This and other improvements will be more fully pointed out inthe detailed descriptionwhich follows;

In the drawings: r

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of the improved distributor clutch arrangement as applied to a. Linotype machine;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an oblique cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and I Fig. 7 is an oblique'cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

During distribution, the matrices 10 are conveyed ice along the distributor bar 11 by a pair of upper rotating screws 12 and a single lower rotating screw 13 until they arrive at their points of release and then permitted to fall by gravity through a short magazine entrance 14 into the appropriate channels of a matrix storage magazine (not shown).

The screws 12 and 13 are journally supported adjacent their ends in the horizontal cross piece of the distributor frame 15 of the machine. The upper screws 12 have little or no end play, but the lower screw 13, although normally banking against face 15a of the frame 15 (in Fig. 1) is permitted some slight axial movement in a leftward direction.

The distributor screws are constantly driven through a clutch from the intermediate drive shaft (not shown), which latter serves to drive a pulley 16 by means of a belt 19 (Figs. 1 and 3). The pulley 16 is rotatably mounted on a horizontal shaft 20 and is prevented from moving along the shaft by a collar 21 and a pin 22, diametrically disposed in shaft 20. The pin 22 also serves another function which will be described hereinafter. A driven disk 23, the facing 24 of which is adapted under normal circumstances to bear against the side of the drive pulley 16 to maintain frictional engagement therewith, is slidably disposed by means of a keyway on shaft 20. A serrated release plate 25 is rotatably mounted on shaft 20 adjacent the driven disk 23 and is resiliently coupiedtherewith. The driving connectionto the upper screws 12 is completed through a gear .26 mounted on the shaft 20 and a gear arrangement denoted generally by the reference character 29, and in the case of the lower screw 13, through a gear mounted at the left hand extremity of its supporting shaft (Fig. 1) which extends beyond the horizontal crosspiece of the distributor frame.

The horizontal shaft 20 is supported from a casting 31 of the distributor frame 15 and rotatably mounted in a bearing 32 thereof. As bestshown in Fig. 3, the driven plate 23'has a hollowneck portion 23a which is provided with a key 33 arranged for longitudinal displacement in an elongated slot 34 formed in shaft 20 to permit the movement of the driven disk into and out of engage ment with the drive pulley 16. A compression spring 35 surrounding the neck portion 23a is disposed between the bearing 32 and the driven disk 23, thereby normally serving to maintain the necessary frictional engagement between the disk and pulley. Referring to Figs. 2 and 7, the release plate 25 is coupled to the driven disk by two tension springs 39 extending between spring eyelets 40 on the plate and studs 41 on the disk. This type of connection is used to absorb a good portion of the shock which occurs when the locking mechanism, which will. be described below, is thrown into operation. Two wedgeshaped release shoes 42 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) are mounted on the release plate for cooperation with the pin 22, although normally the pin and shoes do not cooperate. An adjusting pin 38 (Figs. 2 and 6) is provided with'an eccentric toe portion 38a to permit fine adjustment in positioning the shoes 42 with respect to the pin 22. The left end of the shaft 20' extends beyond the bearing 32 and has a knob 36 attached thereto (Fig. 1).

As explained above, to prevent damage to the matrices or to the machine parts when one or more matrices becomes lodged in the distributor screws, the lower screw 13 is permitted to float or yield axially in a rightward direction, in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, as a result of the camming action which will always occur between the rotating screw threads and the jammed matrix or matrices, and this axial movement of the lower screw 13 is utilized in tllae phresent invention to effect the disengagement of the c utc Toward this end, a U-shaped member 43 (Figs. 1, 4

.asvasee and '5) sensitively serves'to transmitthe-slightest'rightward movement (in Figs. 1 and of the lower screw 13 to the clutch locking mechanism. The member 43 is looselymounted on ashaft44which-is'=heldfast-adjacent its ends. in the machine frame. A compression coil'spring 45, which SLITITOUHGSQShEifPi-lpiS disposed be tween one leg of member '43 and acollar'46, the latter being fixable on shaft-44,- and serves to urge member 43 both to the left, along shaft 44, in Fig. 5, and in a clockwise direction in Fig. 4. The member 43 has three levers projecting therefrom. One 'lever .49, "projecting vertically, carries a roller SO-Which is biased against-the right'face of the gear 34 by spring-45, and thus serves to maintain the lower screw 13 initsnormal leftward position. The same lever 49 also carries an adjustable finger 51 which is biased by the spring-"'45 into contact with a stud 52, adjustably mounted-in the machine frame 57. It will be noticed that-the'finger '51 is so adjusted that it has contact with only a portion of the cross-sectional area of the stud 52. -In-thisway, the-slightest rightward movement of screw 13 will cause the finger 51 to be pushed off stud 52 thereby permitting spring 45 to pivotmember 43 in a clockwise direction, in Fig.4.

A second lever 53, projecting horizontally from member 43, has a finger grip 54 integral therewith, and carries a release plate stop or pawl 55 just out of the path of the release plate teeth (see Figs. 1 and 2). The

'spring45 maintains the pawl 55 in constant readiness forengagement with theserrated releaseplate 25. This tendency is normally resisted by finger '51, until the finger is pushed off stud 52, at which time'the stop 55 is permitted to engage one of the teeth of the rotating plate 25, thereby positively locking the plate against IO- tation. Immediately thereafter, pin 22, still rotating, engages the shoes 42, thereby camming plate-25 toward the left (Figs. 1 and 3) resulting in themovement of the driven disk 23 out offrictional engagement with the face of the drive pulley 16. It will be appreciated that in'one motion the clutch has been locked out of operation and disengaged.

- Thethird lever 56 projecting horizontally from member 43 normally holds a switch 59 (Fig. 4) in open position. Upon clockwise-movement of member 43, lever 56 allows the switch 59-to close, thereby lighting a warning light.

Summarizing the operation of the improved clutch device, thedriving mechanism for-the distributor screws includes the driving pulley 16, the disk 23 frictionally driven by the pulley, the horizontal shaft 20 to which the drivendisk 23 is keyed, and anarrangement of gears connecting the screws to the shaft. The frictional engagement between the driving a-nd driven members is normally maintained by the compression spring 35. The

lower screw '13, although normally positioned to the left by the-action'of the spring 45 and the'roller50, is capable of rightward axial displacement when one or more matrices become lodged in the distributor, and the slightest such displacement pushes the finger 51 otf'stud 52, permitting the release plate stop 55 to engage the release plate and thereby'lockthe-plate against-further rotation resulting in the cooperation of pin 22 with the release shoes 42 to cam the driven disk 23 out of engagement with the driving member 16.

After having been disengaged, the clutch device can be quickly and conveniently reset in a single operation, once the troublesome condition'has been eliminated. Toward this end, theoperator need merely pull finger grip 54 downwardly, thereby "rotating-member counterclockwise (in Fig.4) to a position in whichspring 45 can slide member 43 towardthe-left (Fig. 5) into normal position wherein finger 51 is once again disposed on stud 52.

The present invention has been shownand described in a single specific form and by way of example, but many variations and modifications may be made therein which will still be comprised within its spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form orembodiment, exceptinsofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Distributing mechanism for. a typographical composing machine comprising rotatable screws for conveying matrices along a distributor bar, :one'of said. screws 'being displaceable axially, a driven shaft for powering said screws, a driving member rotatably mounted on said shaft, a driven member keyed to said shaft. and slidable thereon, a spring normally urging said driven member into engagement with said drivingimemberainqorderjto transmit powerto said screws, a. serrated:release. plate disposed adjacent saidslidable .member and resiliently coupled thereto, a pivotal member, a pawlintegral with said pivoted member, said pivotal. member being'responsive to axial displacement. of said-distributor:screwfor permitting said pawl to engagesaidarelease plate thereby positively locking said plate against rotation, camming means mounted on said release plate, and a pin integral with said driven shaft positioned so as to engage'said camming. means uponrthe locking of said release plate, whereby upon suchengagement said driven member is separated from said driving member against'the force of said spring.

2. Apparatus as described in claim 1 including means for adjustably positioning said release plate with respect to said driven member whereby'the relative-position of said. cammingmeans with respect tosaid pin maybe adjusted.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 512,578 Courtial Jan. 9, 1894 747,792 .Spahr Dec. 22, 1903 2,060,175 Carleton :Nov. 10, 1936 2,656,038 Abbott et a1. Oct. 20, 1953 2,753,029 Babaian July 3, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 663,232 France .Apr. 8, 1929 829,989 Germany Ian. 31, 1952 

